Fertilizer-distributer.



mi. 68l,57l. Patented Aug. 27, 1am.

, H. MBVEA. FERTILIZER DISTBlBUTER.

(Application filed Apr. 16,-1901.) v (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shoat I.

am 4m WITNESSES IN VENTOI? THE NORRIS PETERS 00. PNOTO-LITHD. wnsnmcmm D. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRIS'MOVEA, VANOEVILLE, LOUISIANA.

FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of- Letters Patent No. 681,571, dated August 27, 1901.

Application filed April 16,1901. Serial No. 56,095. (No model.)

To a. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRIS MOVEA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Vanceville, in the parish of Bossier and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Fertilizer-Distributer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a fertilizer-distributor which may be fitted to a Wagon at the back or rear end, a portion of the frame of the fertilizer-distributor occupying the position usually filled by the tailboard of the wagon, and to so construct the device that it will be simple and perfectin its working parts and may be adjusted to rows of different widths or to deliver material within a wide range.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a fertilizer-distributor which when attached to a Wagon will be operated by connection with either an axle of the wagon or a driving-Wheel, leaving to the wagon its full carrying capacity for fertilizing material.

Another feature of the inventionis to so construct the device that it will deliver any and all commercial fertilizers in given quantities with perfect accuracy for any distance, the delivery-spouts being adjustable for any width between rows.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an end view of the improved device and a side elevation ofthe rear portion of a wagon shown in dotted lines and illustrating the manner in which the Wagon supports the device. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the device, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the device, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the mechanismfor throwing the driving mechanism into and out of gear with a driving mechanism carried by a wheel or axle of the wagon.

A represents a portion of the body of the wagon, and B the right-hand rear supportingwhecl. This wheel B is provided with a sprocket-wheel 10, attached to its spokes, although the sprocket-wheel maybe secured to the supporting-wheel in any approved manner, or the said sprocket-wheel may be secured to the axle if the axle revolves.

The frame of the device consists of a rear board 12, strengthened by suitable upright battens 12, and this rear board is provided with hooks 12 at each end near its upper edge. The ends of the back board 12 of the frame extend beyond the sides 13, which are also strengthenedby upright battens l3, and the frame is completed by a front section 14, which is preferably inclined downward and rearward from a point near its upper end. When the device is to be used, the tail-board of the wagon is taken out and the ends of the back board 12 are introduced into the slideways provided for the end board, the hooks 12 fitting over the top edge of the wagonbody, as is indicated in Fig. 1.

Two hoppers O and O are located within the frame just described, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The side walls of these hoppers slant downward to a contracted bottom, and in the bottom of each hopper a longitudinal slot or opening 15 is made, as is shown also in Figs. 2 and 3. Preferably the hoppers are joined together at their upper adjacent edges.'

At the forward end of the bottom portion of each hopper a strip of rubber 16 is secured, crossing the opening 15 in the bottom of the hopper, and at the rear end of the opening 15in the bottom of each hopper a slide 17 is mounted on the under face of the bottom of the hopper, which slides have guided movement on set-screws or their equivalents, and these slides are moved in and out by hand and made of any desired dimensions. Preferably, however, each slide is provided at its inner edge, where it crosses the opening in the bottom of the hopper, with a recess 18, so that the slides may be brought quite close to the distributing-wheels 21, to be hereinafter described, mounted to revolve in thesaid openings 15 at the bottom of the hoppers. These slides 17 are intended to regulate the space in the bottom of the hoppers through which the fertilizing material is discharged.

An agitator-shaft 19 is journaled in suitable bearings in the sides of the frame, as

shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and this shaft passes through both hoppers. Within each hopper the shaft 19 is provided with series of teeth or rods 20, which radiate therefrom in such manner that as the shaft revolves the teeth or rods will break up any lumps that may be formed in the fertilizing material.

The distributingwheels 21 are secured upon a main shaft 22, journaled in suitable bearings located at the bottom portion of the sides of the frame, and the agitating-shaft is provided at one end with a gear 23, which meshes with a gear 24 on the main shaft, so that motion is communicated from the main shaft to the agitating-shaft. These distributing-wheels are preferably made of wood and are provided with peripheral bands of metal, and at the periphery of each wheel T- shaped teeth 25 are located, the said teeth being more or less flat, and these teeth may be placed at desired intervals apart. These teeth 25 serve as paddles and tend to force the fertilizing material through the outlet portions of the openings 15 in the bottom portion of the hoppers, the wider portion of said paddle-teeth being especially brought into play when feeding cotton-seed or pulverized stable-manure, and the narrower portions of said teeth perform efficient service when the fertilizing material is cotton-seed meal or other powdered material.

In order that the material discharged from the hoppers shall not be blown away or wasted, a jacket 26 is located at the bottom portion of each hopper, as is shown in Fig. 2, and these jackets extend down into the upper portion of the mouth-sections of the spouts I). These spouts consist of an upper funnelshaped section 27, pivotally attached to straps 27, attached to the hoppers, or other means for pivotally connecting the spouts with the hoppers may be employed. In addition to the upper section of a spout an intermediate metal section 28 is used, the upper and the intermediate sections both being of metal, and each spout is completed by the addition of a lower section 29, made of rubber or other yielding material, so that the spouts will not be injured should their lower ends come in engagement with rocks, stones, or other possible obstructions in a field. These spouts are movable to and from each other and may be held in adjusted position, so that they can deliver the fertilizing material to different widths of rows. Such adjustment is accomplished by pivoting links 30 to the opposing faces of the upper sections of the spouts, which links 30 are pivotally attached to the lower end of a rod 31, which rod passes up through a space between the hoppers and through a block 32, located on the hoppers, where they connect, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the upper end of the rod terminating in an eye 33 or a handle of any approved nature. The rod 31 may be provided with series of apertures, and after the adjustment of the spouts has been made they are held in their adjusted position by passing a pin 34 through the block 32 and one of the apertures in the rod- 31.

The main shaft 22 extends beyond one side of the frame, and a portion of the extended section of the shaft is threaded to receive lock-nuts 35. At the outer end of the extended portion of the main shaft 22 a sprocketwheel 36 is loosely mounted, and this sprocket-wheel is provided with a clutch-section 37 at its hub, the teeth of the clutch-section being beveled at an angle of about fortyfive degrees, so that the teeth on a clutch-section 38 correspondingly beveled or inclined will readily engage with the teeth on the clutch-section of the sprocket-wheel 36. This clutch-section 38 is mounted to slide on the shaft 22 and to turn therewith, and a spring 39 is coiled around the shaft 22, engaging with the lock-nuts and the said clutchsection 38, as is best shown in Fig. 4. A shifting-lever 40 is connected with the clutchsection 38, and this shifting-lever 40 is provided with a spring-controlled pawl 41,which engages with teeth in a rack 42, which rack is attached to a support 42, securedto the frame of the device and upon which support the shifting-lever 40 is fulcrumed. The pawl 41 is provided, preferably, with a thumblatch 41, which extends up along the shifting-lever 40, as is shown in Fig. 2. The spring 39 is of sufficient strength to force the clutchsection 38, under ordinary circumstances, in engagement with the clutch-section of the sprocket-wheel 36; but these two parts may be separated at any time by means of the shifting-lever 40. It will be observed that should any obstruction occur in the hoppers or to the gears the strain would be greater than the force of the spring, the clutch-section 38 would work out from engagement with the clutch-section of the sprocket-wheel 36 and the shifting-lever 40 would be carried outward, and the pawl carried by the shifting-lever engaging with the rack 42 will act to hold the clutch-section 38 out of engagement with that of the sprocket-wheel 36, thus preventing further movement of the various parts of the machine until the clutch-section 38 is restored to its engagement with the clutch-section of the sprocket-wheel 36. The strength of the spring 39 can be increased and decreased by the manipulation of the lock-nuts 35.

The fertilizer material can be either shoveled from the wagon-body to the hopper or the wagon-body may be inclined to discharge to the hopper, or other methods may be employed.

In operation the device is substituted for the tail-board of the wagon, and the wagonbody is filled with the fertilizing material, which is fed to the hoppers O and C in any approved manner, and an endless chain belt 43 is made to engage with the sprocket-wheel 36 of the device and the larger sprocketwheel 10, carried by the vehicle, the said endless chain 43 being made to pass over the idler 11, carried by the vehicle, which idler serves to take up any slack that may occur in the endless chain 43. Thus it will be observed that the operative portions of the device receive motion from the vehicle as it advances and that the device may be expeditiously and conveniently placed in engagement with the body of the wagon or disengaged therefrom.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A fertilizer-distributer, adapted for attachment to the body of a vehicle, comprising a hopper, a delivery-spout pivoted at its upper end to the hopper in the direction of motion of the vehicle and depending thence and arranged to swing laterally or at a right angle to the direction of motion of the vehicle, a distributing-wheel mounted to revolve in an opening in the bottom of the hopper, the distributing-wheel being provided with peripherally-located paddles, and means, substantially as described for regulating the position of the spout.

2. In a fertilizer-distributer, adapted for engagement with a wagon-body, a hopper having an opening in its bottom, a spout pivotally connected with said hopper, an adjusting device for the said spout, a shaft passed through the said hopper, an agitating device carried by the said shaft, a main shaft passed below the hopper, a distributing-wheel secured on the main shaft, which Wheel extends through the slot in the bottom of the hopper, T-shaped paddle-blades carried by the said wheel, and a shield located at the bottom of the hopper around the distributingwheel, which shield enters the said spout for the purpose described.

3. In a fertilizer-distributor, aframe adapted for attachment to a wagon-body, hoppers carried by the said frame, having slots in their bottom portions, spouts pivotally connected with the bottom portions of the said hoppers, an agitating-shaft extending through the said hoppers,provided with agitating-arms located within the hoppers, a main shaft located below the hoppers, having driving connection with the agitator-shaft, a distributing-Wheel located at the bottom portion of each hopper and secured to the main shaft, distributingpaddles carried by the peripheral portion of the distributing-wheels, means for regulating the outlets of the hoppers, and an adjusting device for the said spouts, consisting of a rod, means for securing said rod in adj ust ed position, and links connected with the said rod and with the spouts, for the purpose described.

4. In a fertilizer-distributer, the combination, with a hopper, an agitator located within said hopper, a distributing-wheel extending through the bottom portion of the hopper and through a slot in said bottom portion, T- shaped distributing-paddles secured to the peripheral portion of the distributing-wheel, a shaft attached to said distributing-wheel, a driving connection between the shaft and the agitator, a slide carried by the hopper, adapt ed to regulate the amount of material distributed, a spout pivotally connected with said hopper, means for adjusting the spout, and a yielding strip crossing the said slot at its rear, which strip serves to prevent leakage of material from the hopper at the rear portion of the slot, as described.

5. In a fertilizer-distributer, substantially as described, a main shaft having a threaded portion, lock-nuts located on the threaded portion of the shaft, a driving-wheel loosely mounted on the shaft and provided with a clutch-section, the teeth of the clutch-section being beveled, a clutch-section mounted to slide upon and turn with the main shaft, the clutch-section being provided with teeth correspondingly shaped to the teeth of the clutchsection of the driving-pulley, a shifting-lever connected with the latter clutch-section, a pawl carried by the shifting-lever, a rack attached to a fixed support, receiving the said pawl, and a spring coiled around the said shaft, engaging with the clutch-section and with the lock-nuts, for the purpose specified.

6. In a fertil'izer-distributer, substantially as described the combination of the hopper devices, spouts connected at their upper ends with the hopper devices and adjustable laterally at their lower ends, links connected at their outer ends with the spouts, an operatingrod connected with the inner ends of said links, and guide devices for said rod, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRIS MOVEA.

Witnesses:

ROBERT BEVERLY HILL, JoANNEs SMITH. 

